DaddyBlogger.com

A Child's Right

Research - Equal Parenting Is Best For Children

The Case for Shared Parenting and Joint Physical Custody - It's About The Kids!

This list will be updated on a regular basis as new sources are compiled. If you have a resource that is not listed here please email us at [admin at achildsright dot net] so that we can promptly add it.

Children have a fundamental right to be loved, guided, nurtured and educated equally by both fit and willing parents - to deny this is child abuse.

"Father hunger " often afflicts boys age one and two whose fathers are suddenlyand permanently absent. Sleep disturbances, such as trouble falling asleep,nightmares, and night terrors frequently begin within one to three months afterthe father leaves home.

"This research discovers that children--especially daughters--benefit considerably when the parent they are not living with nevertheless does everyday things with the child, from 'shopping, reading, visiting, doing homework, watching TV together,' to 'spending holidays together.' The authors conclude that, for a school-age daughter, this 'doing everyday-type things together' with the parent she is not living with is the only predictor of psychological well-being.

"Father-deprivation is a more reliable predictor of criminal activity than race, environment or poverty.Father-deprived children are:1. 72% of all teenage murderers. 2. 60% of rapists. 3. 70% of kids incarcerated. 4. twice as likely to quit school. 5. 11 times more likely to be violent. 6. 3 of 4 teen suicides. 7. 80% of the adolescents in psychiatric hospitals. 8. 90% of runaways

(Sources: National Fatherhood Initiative, US Bureau of Census, FBI)

"States with high levels of joint physical custody awards (over 30%) in 1989 and 1990 have shown significantly greater declines in divorce rates in following years through 1995, compared with other states. Divorce rates declined nearly four times faster in high joint custody states, compared with states where joint physical custody is rare. As a result, the states with high levels of joint custody now have significantly lower divorce rates on average than other states. States that favored sole custody also had more divorces involving children. These findings indicate that public policies promoting sole custody may be contributing to the high divorce rate."

"…the states with high levels of joint custody had significantly lower divorce rates four years later. States with higher levels of joint custody had an average four-year decline in the divorce rate approximately double that for states with medium levels of joint custody. On a percentage basis, between 1989 and 1994 the rate in the High joint custody group declined by 8%, in the Medium group by 4%, and in the Low group by less than 1%."

"Father-deprivation is a serious form of child abuse that is institutionalized and entrenched within our legal system. Powerful sexist people in Canada have a vested interest in diminishing the role of men, especially their role as fathers. Research proves that children thrive with the active and meaningful participation of both biological parents, and is true even for post-divorce families."

"By presuming joint custody as early as possible in the court process, parties are impelled to attend to the child's needs, thereby encouraging mature behavior and discouraging divisive, childish conflict. Shared parenting with mutual responsibility -- joint custody -- is in the best interest of the child, parents, society, and the court system. Those courts can assist the parents in settling their own disagreements by providing a context for negotiation and helping to mold specific child-centered joint custody agreements."

Children whose parents shared residential care of the child were rated better adjusted by their mothers.

(Cowan, 1982)

Parents with joint physical custody are less likely to litigate than parents with only joint legal custody. Joint custody parents are less likely to litigate when they are must bargain in the shadow of a strong joint custody statute.

(Alexander, Ilfeld, & Ilfeld, 1982)

Joint custody awards appear particularly beneficial to mothers.

(Hanson, 1986)

When parents were asked to imagine themselves in one of three custody situations, the sole custody arrangement when compared to the joint custody one encouraged punitive behavior and concern for self-interest.

(Patrician, 1984)

Fewer joint custody cases than sole custody cases were relitigated.

(Phear, Bech, Hauser, Clark, & Whitney, 1984)

Children from joint custody families were more satisfied with time spent with each parent than children from sole custody families.

(Welsh-Osga, 1981)

Negative feelings are intensified for children in sole custody families.

(Karp, 1982)

Of 28 families mediated into joint custody over their sole custody wishes, none returned to court for litigation. Joint custody awards over the objection of one parent have proven successful.

(Irving, Benjamin, & Trocme, 1984).

61% of all child abuse is committed by biological mothers25% of all child abuse is committed by natural fathers